Heat dissipating assembly



July 13, 1943. w. c. BUTTN ER HEAT DISSIPATING ASSEMBLY Filed July 15 1940 79 I6 15 30 l {7 78 v 74 M a w u n z W W,

Patented July 13, 1943 HEAT DISSIPATIN G ASSEMBLY William C. Buttner, Winnetka, 111., assignor to The Bastian-Blessing Company, Chicago, 111..

a corporation of Illinois Application July 15, 1940, Serial No. 345,653

6 Claims. (Cl. 13841) This invention relates to fluid controlling means and has for one object to provide means for guiding and controlling the movement of the gases under high pressures to. accomplish heat dissipation and to prevent combustion. Another object is to provide a removable assembly which prevents the entrance of foreign matter and prevents ignition and protects valve seats and associated parts from burning.

Other objects will appear from time to time throughout the specification and the claims.

The invention is illustrated more or less diagrammatically in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a sectional view through a portion of a regulator housing;

Figure 2 is a transverse sectional view taken at line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an elevation of the filtering and heat dissipating assembly; and

Figure 4 is an elevation. of the same assembly with parts removed and with parts broken away and a part in section.

Like parts are designated by'like characters throughout the specification and the drawing.

While the general idea of the present invention may be embodied in many specific applications', the one here shown has advantages and importance. Where gas is handled under high pressures and where, because of the opening or closing of valves or for other reasons, high pressures may suddenly be built up or exerted on one part of the assembly or another, it is important to provide means for heat dissipation to prevent burning of parts or of the contents of the system. This heat occurs in pressure regulators and pressure reducers and hence the present showing is made in connection with a pressure reducing regulator. I indicates the housing of the regulator generally. 2 is a threaded inlet opening arranged to receive a correspondingly threaded pipev 3 through which fluid enters in the direction of the arrow. A screen 4 may be positioned between the inner end of the pipe 3 and its outer end. The screen might be positioned against the. shoulder 5 or the screen may be positioned as shown at or toward the outer end of the pipe 3, and in that case the inner end of the pipe 3 may abut against the shoulder 5. A passage 6 leads from the inlet opening 3 into a chamber which will be described below. A diaphragm 1 may form a part of the regulator and its periphery is forced against the shoulder 8 by a bonnet 9 which is threaded to engage corresponding threading in the housing I. The particular details of the regulator form no essential part of the invention.

The passage or conduit 6 leads into a chamber H which at its outer end is threaded as at i2 and has an annular depression I3 formed about it. At its inner end the chamber H terminates in a shoulder I4, and a passage I extends from the chamber H to a passage It in a cross member I l which extends across a chamber IS. A

. valve may be positioned within this chamber;

the valvemay straddle the cross member l1 and valve or guide parts I9 are indicated in that position.

The filtering and heat dissipating assembly comprises a body member which may be exteriorly threaded as shown and which is provided with a head 2| which is preferably of angular cross section to facilitate rotating it. 22 is a soft metal or other gasket which may be positioned in the depression l3 about the member 20 and beneath the head 2|. The member 20 is provided with a reduced threaded portion 23 and with a hollow extension 24 which is provided with perforations 25 to communicate with the central hollow portion 26 which preferably extends from one end of the member toward or into the portion 23. v

A hollow shell 2'! is threaded at one end to engage the threads on the portion 23. It is provided with perforations-23. At one end it has an inclined shoulder 29 against which the end of the body 24 is preferably seated when the parts are assembled. A perforation or channel 30 extends from the interior of the shell 2'1, and when the parts are assembled is in line with the bore 26 and the bore or conduit 115.

The filtering and heat dissipating assembly may be removed and inserted as a unit and it is shown separately in Figure 3. When it is in place it is preferably seated at its inner end against the soft metal or other adequate sealing gasket 3|, and at its outer end the head 2! engages the soft metal or other adequate sealing gasket22. The shape of the inner end of the chamber II is preferably such that the shell 21 fits snugly in it. 7

As shown particularly in Figures 1 and 2, there is an annular clearance or chamber between the body 24 and the shell 2i. Positioned in this space is an exterior tubular member formed of metal screening 32 and an interior tubular member formed of metal screening 33. Between the two screen tubes 2. body of filtering or straining material 134 may be positioned. These may be of metal wool or asbestos or any other desirable material, metallic or otherwise. For convenience, the outer tube 32 preferably lies against or close to the inner surface of the shell 21, and the inner tube 33 preferably lies close to or against the outer surface of the member 24.

While the assembly has been described as a screening assembly, it should be understood that in general the screen 4 satisfies the necessity for screening or filtering of the gas which passes through the system, and the main purpose of the screen tubes 32 and 33 is to provide a multitude of small passages and to provide metallic and heat dissipating means, Obviously, should any foreign matter pass the screen 4 it will be caught and retained by the screen tubes 32 or 33 or by the material 34 between them.

Although there is shown an operative form of the device, it will be understood that many changes in the form, shape and arrangement of parts might be made without departing from the spirit of this invention, and it is wished that the showing be taken as, in a sense, diagrammatic.

The use and operation of this invention are as follows: 7

With the parts assembled as shown, fluid, normally oxygen gas, enters the system through the pipe 3, and moves along the passage 6. The cross sectional area of the chamber II, into which the passage 6 discharges, is far greater than the cross sectional area of that passage. Consequently, if high pressures are built up in the system in the passage 6 or ahead of it, the oxygen which had been lying in the passage at zero gauge or atmospheric pressure is spread out into the larger chamber II. At the same time the incoming high pressure oxygen mixes with the original oxygen which was becoming heated as it became compressed and so results in a lower temperature mixture than would have been the case had the zero gauge pressure oxygen in passage 6 been compressed in a straight line through passage I to a point directly against the combustible seat effecting a closure at I6. The large expansion space I I, therefore,

results in a relative slowing up of pressure build up of the gas within the chamber, The perforated shell and the perforated body both are formed of metal and from their shape provide a multitude of small passages, and the metal screens, as well as the material between the screen, whether it be of metal or not, all serve to provide additional small passages through which the gas must pass before it can leave the chamber I I and move through the passage I5, It to the valve or valve seat which is ordinarily positioned at the inner end of that passage. Thus, the valve and valve seat are protected against sudden pressure on the upstream side of the chamber II by the configuration of the passages and by the size of the passages through which the gas must pass. Also, what heat may develop as the result of the pressure being raised is dissipated by means of the shape and arrangement of the parts in the filtering and heat dissipating unit and the cooling mixture with high pressure oxygen. The shape of the parts and the shape of the passages provide ready means for heat dissipation, and since these parts are of metal the heat dissipation is accomplished easily and effectively.

Experience has shown that there is a pronounced fire danger in apparatuses in which sudden high gas pressures occur in the presence of atmospheric or pure oxygen. This occurs in pressure regulators and in other mechanisms through which such gases pass. Extreme pressure changes occur when a system which has been out of use is turned on and when oxygen is suddenly supplied to the system and rushes into the passages with violence so that sudden high compression of the gas which had been lying in the passages results in a hot core or 10- calized section at the far end of the passages. The sudden impact of these high pressures may raise the temperature of the gases and oxygen sufiiciently to produce combustion by causing spontaneous ignition of burnable substances. It is an object of the present invention to prevent this. In the first place, the relatively large capacity of the chamber II delays the building up of pressure and mixes in cool oxygen so that ignition and combustion cannot take place; and, in the second place, the presence of the large quantity of metallic heat conduction surfaces and parts prevents the building up of excessive temperatures. It may be assumed that when the apparatus has not been in use no gas is entering the system and pressures are relatively light or at zero gauge. Upon the opening of a gas reservoir of any sort, gas may rush in at extreme pressures, Its efiect is to compress gases present in the system, but this compression is relatively delayed because the gases present in the system are widely distributed and mixed through the passage 5, the chamber I I, the passage I5, and the many passages formed within the removable screen assembly in the chamber II, and, thus, the entering gas is required to make many changes of direction and is widely diffused throughout the screen assembly and other parts of the system as it compresses the oxygen present within the system and so cannot produce a dangerous temperature. The passage 6 is connected to the chamber II, at a point well away from the outer end of the chamber I I, so that much of the oxygen or other gases present in that chamber have moved and are compressed away from the passage 5 and I5. These gases are in effect by-passed" into the remote part of the chamber II; that is, in the righthand portion of the chamber as shown in Figure 1. Thus, the ignition hazards at the seat are greatly minimized.

In the past, with other types of systems Where marked pressure is suddenly thrown on the system, temperatures which cause ignition and explosion have developed. With the apparatus shown, the sudden opening of cylinders with pressures as high as 2600 pounds per square inch has failed to produce any explosion, ignition or burning of any sort. The presence of the relatively large metal screen in the removable screening assembly produces a pronounced cooling efiect and, thus, dissipates the heat which might be caused by the sudden compression on the regulator due to accidental quick opening of th cylinder valve, and, thus, the danger of explosiun o bur ng of any sort is eliminated.

While I have spoken of oxygen and the danger associated with the sudden high pressures, it is to be understood that the danger from fire or combustion generally is not limited merely to the presence of pure oxygen and the heat dissipating means of the present invention are of advantage where many diiferent gases and mixtures of gases are used.

I claim:

1. In a device for handling oxygen under pressures at which it is normally stored, a housing, an entrance conduit through which oxygen reaches said housing, means for dampening the effect of sudden surges of oxygen entering the housing through said conduit comprising a fitting disposed in the path of said surges including a body member mounted upon the housing and having a head at one end and a laterally perforated tubular portion at the other end with a, plurality of threads of different diameters between them, a sleeve received on one of said threads and having perforations through the side Walls and end thereof and providing an enclosed space around said tubular portion, and a heat absorbing medium disposed in said space.

2. In a device for handling oxygen under pressures at which it is normally stored, a housing having a chamber therein, an entrance conduit opening upon the side wall of the chambers at a point intermediate its ends through which oxygen reaches said chamber, means received in said chamber for dampening the effect of sudden surges of oxygen entering the chamber through said conduit comprising a fitting disposed in said chamber and mounted upon the housing, said fitting being disposed in the path of said surges entering the chamber and including a body member having a laterally perforated tubular portion disposed in said chamber, means for sealing the chamber from the outside and supporting said tubular portion in. position in the chamber, a sleeve secured on the tubular member to define a space between the Wall of the sleeve and the tubular member and having openings through said wall, and a heat absorbing medium disposed in said space.

3. In a device for handling oxygen under pressures at which it is normally stored, a housing having a conduit, one portion through which gas enters the housing and another portion thereof terminating in a valve port, means for dampening the eifect of sudden surges of oxygen through the conduit before reaching the port comprising a fitting disposed in the path of said surges including a body member secured upon the housing, a plurality of telescoped sleeves on said body member providing a space between them, openings through the side Walls of both of the sleeves, and a heat absorbing medium disposed and supported in said space, the inner part of the inner sleeve being in communication with one of the portions of said conduit and the openings through the side wall of the outer sleeve being in communication with the other portion of the conduit.

4. In a device for handling oxygen under pressures at which it is normally stored, a housing,

an entrance conduit through which oxygen enters the housing, means for dampening the effect of sudden surges of oxygen entering the housing through said conduit comprising a fitting disposed in the path of Said surges including a plug received in said housing and having a counterbored reduced portion with openings through the side Wall of the reduced portion, an element having a sleeve portion telescoping over the reduced portion and providing an enclosed space around said reduced portion, and a heat absorb ing medium disposed in said space, said element having openings through the Wall of the sleeve portion and an opening providing access to said counterbore.

5. In a device for handling oxygen under pressures at which it is normally stored, a housing having a chamber therein terminating at one end in a shoulder, an entrance conduit through which oxygen flows through said housing including an opening through said shoulder, means for dampening the efiect of sudden surges of oxygen entering the housing through said conduit comprising a fitting disposed in said chamber in the path of said surges including a body member secured on the housing, a plurality of telescoping sleeve elements, one of which engages the shoulder in sealed relationship around said opening and is held there by said body member, said sleeve elements defining a space between them and having openings in their side walls, and a heat absorbing medium disposed in said space.

6. For use in a housing having a conduit terminating at one end in a port and through which oxygen flows to the port under pressures at which oxygen is normally stored, said housing having a chamber larger in diameter than the conduit and through which the oxygen flows before reaching the port, a device for dampening the effect of sudden surges of oxygen approaching the port through the chamber comprising a fitting insertable into the chamber and engaging the housing in sealed relationship including a body member engaging the housing in sealed relationship, and a laterally perforated tubular element supported in the chamber, a heat ab-' sorbing medium around said tubular element and a sleeve member disposed around said medium to hold it in place on the tubular member and having openings through its side walls, the outer dimension of said sleeve member being appreciably less than the size of the chamber to provide a space between the wall of the chamber and the outer face of the sleeve member.

WILLIAM C. BUTTNER. 

